-----------------------------------------Spins --------------------------------------- Wooden Nickel Ryan Adams CD of the Week Ashes & Fire BACKTRACKS Now a sober man with a Hol- Mott the Hoople lywood wife, a Hollywood house and All the Young Dudes (1972) his own record label, Pax Am, Ryan Adams has released the first record When Mott the Hoople members of his second act, a mellow and warm were trying to figure out the direction singer/songwriter effort called Ashes of the band (and its fifth record), along & Fire. The two things you’re bound came glam-rocker David Bowie. Bowie to hear about this record, if you’re the penned the title track and produced an investigative type, is that: (1) The record is quite mellow and feels album that would save the careers of Ian like something of a brother to Neil Young’s Harvest and After the Hunter and the rest of MTH. It would become one of the most Goldrush; and 2) Adams has become, maybe above all else, an in- recognizable songs in rock n’ roll. credible vocalist. Opening with Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane,” MTH cover this clas- In a 2001 interview, following the release of his make-or-break sic with a happier vibe and a progressive, almost Calypso beat. $9.99 sophomore solo release, Gold, Adams spoke about his then-strict “Momma’s Little Jewel” has a fat piano arrangement and some routine, where he forced himself to spend an hour each day working horns and “Sucker” has that early, glam-Euro rock of the 1970s. FATIMA WASHINGTON on songwriting, an hour each day practicing guitar and an hour or Bowie’s influence mellows MTH out a little on this record, more each day singing. It was no surprise then that, following Gold, but it isn’t like the artsy stuff that Bowie was himself putting out. A PART OF ME Adams became one of the most prolific – and consistent – songwrit- Hunter had the same vocal style as Bowie, and Mick Ralphs was Big beats and big hooks complement ers of his generation, releasing 12 albums between his breakthrough able to play the guitar in front of the music instead of behind the Fatima Washington’s soulful voice on the release, 1997’s Stranger’s Almanac, and today’s Ashes & Fire. All screaming arrangements that had preceded this album. Fort Wayne native’s newest album, A Part along it’s been said that Adams was a heavy user, living out the mis- The punk element is still evident in the snarky lyrics from of Me. With “Follow Me” and “Addiction,” sion set forth in his 2001 song “Firecracker,” where he sang, “Ev- a nice rocker in “One Of The Boys,” which sort of has a Stones Washington shows she is ready for the radio eryone wants to go forever / I just want to burn up hard and bright.” vibe. Ralphs gets the lead on the vocals for “Ready For Love/Af- alongside Beyonce and Adele while she also Clearly, things have changed, and Ashes & Fire is the document. ter Lights” which was also covered by Bad Company a couple of shows versatility with the ballad “Feels Like” What first took my attention was the look of the record. Adams, years later. In fact, this was Ralphs last record with MTH before and the bluesy “Promise.” Pick up A Part of also a painter and novelist, had never struck me as a man with an he helped form Bad Company with Paul Rogers and Simon Kirke Me this week for just $9.99 at any Wooden overall aesthetic like, say, Thom Yorke or Jack White. That is, not of Free. Nickel location or at her North Anthony in- one to speak too highly of. Mostly, Adams (for me, that is) was a The album closes with the mellow, piano-driven ballad “Sea store appearance Saturday, November 12. lousy painter and poet who could make great, great songs that some- Diver.” The band split up a couple of years later, and Hunter went times had very good lyrics. Then came Ashes, a beautifully presented on to a decent successful career on his own. His hits included TOP SELLERS @ record that begs me to believe that, as a sober adult, the man has “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Cleveland Rocks.” The five origi- more tolerance of the things outside the recording studio. And while nal members reunited in 2009 for the band’s 40th anniversary. Wooden Nickel the beautiful presentation of the record does seem distantly symbolic Hunter is playing near Philly (New Hope, Pennsylvania) on (Week ending 11/6/11) in relation to Our Man’s transition from punk to adult, the real star November 18. (Dennis Donahue) TW LW ARTIST/Album of the show, as it should be, are the 11 songs, a collection Adams 1 – RUSH himself has already called his “best yet.” Time Machine 2011 Opener “Dirty Rain,” a delicate and detailed composition heaped The Cool Kids with 70s era style turns, certainly starts things off right, working as When Fish Ride Bicycles 2 1 MEGADETH an introduction to the artist’s new era. In the song (or so we assume) Thirt3en Adams narrates from a third-person perspective, juxtaposing his On paper When Fish Ride Bicycles early 2000s rock star residency in L.A. with his modern, much more is the proper debut full length from the 3 2 FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH settled tenure in the town (he inhabited New York City in the inter- Chicago- and Detroit-based duo The American Capitalist im). A beautiful opening that will resonate deeply with his longtime Cool Kids. This only because, when fans puts to rest the inevitable “he was better when he was stoned” their first release came out, 2008’s 4 – WILCO chatter in a classy, admirable manner. excellent The Bake Sale, the duo The Whole Love (CD & LP) Track two, the record’s title track, is the most upbeat offering of of Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks the collection, feeling like something of a celebration of the man’s seemingly did not know the difference 5 3 CHICKENFOOT Chickenfoot III (CD & LP) abilities. He howls, strums and bangs in a way only he can. You’d be between a full-length release and an EP. We can only assume that, to hard pressed to find a working rock musician with the ability to make The Cool Kids, a full-length album was 20 or so songs with lots of 6 – KEITH SWEAT a song as classic-sounding as “Ashes & Fire.” Maybe they can sing guests and intros and interludes, and an EP was something smaller Til the Morning as well as Adams, or arrange songs just as well, or they’re a strong (technically, an EP is an extended play single, or anything longer songwriter, sure – but a master of all three key elements, at once, on than two songs). And so the 10-song The Bake Sale (13 songs if you 7 – AS I LAY DYING one song? Classic tracks like this are rare. Very rare. But far less rare got the initial CD release) went down, foolishly, as the crew’s “debut Decas for Adams than most. EP,” making Fish their first proper LP following a slew of holdover If you’ve heard the above-mentioned Young records and are fa- mixtures and guest spots. Clocking in at 11 songs and only a few 8 5 METALLICA/LOU REED miliar with Adams’ records like Gold, 29, Easy Tiger and Jackson- minutes longer than Bake, the record is, for the most part, a logi- Lulu ville City Nights, then you should have a pretty good idea of what cal continuation of what the Kids were doing in 2008: simple beats, Ashes & Fire sounds like. Overall the record is consistently mellow simple rhymes, lots of bass. 9 – DISTURBED Lost Children and most definitely thick and warm. There are instant classics like The Cool Kids truly love the boom-bap era of hip-hop culture. “Save Me” and “Lucky Now” and slow burners like “Invisible Riv- Unlike Kayne, Doom, Common or any of those other schmoes who 10 – ATLAS SOUND erside.” The writing isn’t his most interesting to date, but the sing- talk about “classic hip-hop” without ever really playing it straight, Parallax (CD & LP) ing soars like never before and the arrangements are heartbreakingly homage wise, Inglish and Rocks keep it real, building simple loop- beautiful. Sure, I’d like to see the guy stomp his boots a little more based songs the same way Marley Marl or Pete Rock or Erick Ser- here and there (he’s one of the best ever at that), and I know he has mon did back in the late 80s. They start with a break beat, add a bass Sat., Nov. 12 • 7 p.m. • All Ages • Free more adventurous records up his sleeve. But if you’re looking for loop and then ornament their rhythm sections with various samples LIve AT OUR N. ANTHONy Store: front-to-back listenability, it’s hard to top this collection of sweetly and, eventually, vocals. The production is clean and simple, and the twangy, surprisingly uplifting tunes. bass is loud and heavy, as it should be. The samples and loops come, The biggest difference here is that, for the first time ever, Ad- mostly, from funk, soul and jazz records, natch. That the produc- FATIMA ams has offered up a collection of songs that feel, for the most part, tion on The Cool Kids releases is always so solid, so focused, is no wholly positive.